7 Apps Every Fitness Enthusiast Should Download

If you have a smartphone, you should download these 7 fitness related apps to make accomplishing your fat loss & muscle building goals that much easier.

Quick question: How many of you reading this article right now have a cell phone? That would likely be 99% of you.

I would guess that over half of the people that see this will be reading on their mobile device.

So it goes without saying, the modern cell phone has become an extension of who we are and a big part of our everyday lives.

It makes sense that we can and should use these tech toys to help us reach our fitness goals.

There’s an app for almost everything and many can help you achieve personal fitness success in several different ways.

These seven apps can go a long way in helping you on your fat loss journey or assist in you improving as an athlete.

If they’re not already on your phone, go to your app store and download them.

1. Calorie Counter - MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal has been many people’s best friend, or “pal”, when it comes to helping people get in great shape. It’s as close to a nutritionist as you can have without hiring one to walk around with you.

Millions of people have used this app to help them lose weight and get in great shape. You can get macro counts of many foods you buy in the store as well as several restaurants. The tracking goes beyond the calorie counts. You can keep up with fiber, cholesterol, vitamins, and more.

It isn’t just a nutrition app either. You can use it as a training log to post exercises and cardio you do daily so you can monitor progress to help you get one step closer to reaching your goals. You can also see graphs to show your improvement so you can stay motivated to do even more.

2. Strong: Exercise Gym Log, 5x5

This app can benefit anyone training from beginner to world-class athlete. Strong is a workout tracker that can help you monitor your daily progress from preloaded programs or custom workout routines that you create.

This app comes with a library of exercises that include all the major movements you know as well as some you might not be familiar with. It can make recommendations on what you should do for your next workout based on how you logged your last workout. It will also help you keep up with your personal records so you know what you need to do in order to set a new one.

There is also a timer you can use to help you know when it’s time for your next set. When you set up your account, you can upload the app to a new phone without worrying about your records being lost.

3. HeadSpace: Meditation and Mindfulness

It isn’t only about physical fitness. Anyone whose been training and focusing on fitness long enough is well aware that motivation and a positive mindset is a must. The headspace app can either help you focus when you get ready to train or be a good backup for you when you’re dealing with a lot of stress at work or any time of the day.

You can choose doing standalone sessions when you have the time to do so or you can also do a short round called a “mini” when the situation calls for it, like after a workout or when you have a break in between meetings.

There are also options to help you when it comes time to sleep. Additionally, you can help the kids practice meditation methods for any time of the day too.

4. Map My Run

This award-winning app has become synonymous with running in recent years. If you’re new to running then I highly suggest downloading Map My Run because it can help you make the transition from running rookie to seasoned veteran a lot easier.

You can track everything on this from distance to elevation to calories burned to specific routes you run. You can even log the specific shoes you run in. It will notify you when the time has come to get new shoes based on the number of miles you track.

If you prefer audio motivation, there is a voice option that will give you information on your run if it’s tracked by GPS. It will also track different kinds of workouts too so it isn’t solely a running app. And you can connect with friends to motivate each other and monitor their progress.

There is a premium subscription option that will provide you with training plans for everything from a 5K to a marathon and all types of runs in between. Of course it comes with a subscription fee but if running is something you take seriously, it could be worth the investment.

5. Freeletics

This is a great app to help you incorporate bodyweight training into your program. Freeletics helps you get in workouts ranging from 10-30 minutes based on using only bodyweight exercises. If there’s a movement you aren’t sure about, you can watch videos to help you master the form before working it into your routine.

Like Map My Run, there is a subscription option that you can pay for that provides a weekly workout plan designed based on your goals and experience. It will also provide feedback to you regarding your performance and will offer adjustments based on that feedback that you can either accept or decline.

6. Fitocracy

Fitness can be more than a routine. It can also be a game thanks to Fitocracy. Fitocracy is an app and social program that basically turns your training into a game.

You can track your workouts which allows you to earn points. Those points can then be used to unlock achievements which are helpful in winning various quests. This is similar to a role playing game (RPG).

It’s a fitness community too so you can make friends on this program while you’re making gains. It can be beneficial for any popular fitness style of training including bodybuilding, CrossFit, running, and other forms of training. It’s as close to Roblox for fitness as it gets.

7. Sleep Cycle

Outside of training and nutrition, sleep is among the most crucial aspects of fitness. If you’re not resting and recovering properly, your performance and day can be affected in a negative way. The Sleep Cycle app can be of a great benefit to you if you find sleeping to be a struggle.

The app tracks your sleep cycles by monitoring sound and movement (tossing and turning). It will also help you wake up in light sleep. In other words, it will help you wake up when you’re naturally supposed to. So the result should be you have more energy not only in the morning but throughout the entire day.

There are also premium options that will track your snoring trends, provide sleeping aids, and offer notes that detail how factors like exercise, caffeine, or stress are affecting the quality of your sleep.

Many people would like to have a sleep study done. While this might not be the kind that takes place in a room with experts around, it can serve you well as an extra choice to help you track an overlooked aspect of fitness and health.